01 Apr 2017
A safety initiative seeking to inform kindergarten students on correct behaviour on and around buses came to Young this week.
The NRMA have joined together with New South Wales Police to bring the bus safety program to kindergarten students locally but they also hope to expand the initiative across the state.
NRMA Insurance Team Leader Mikayla Basham said it is vital to inform the youngest of school students about bus safety.
"The program consists of taking the kids through what to do whilst waiting for the bus and what to do once they are off the school bus," she said.
"Students were taken on a short bus ride around the school block where they got to see what to do in a certain situation as well as learn how to enter and exit a school bus in the safest way.
"It was important to have a bus driver speak about the do and do not's on busses and Police officers to speak about stranger danger."
Local bus driver Bill Ottey of Bill's Bus Service gave valuable first-hand safety advice to the students.
"We like to make ourselves available to talk to kindergarten students to reinforce the proper way to hop on and off a bus," he said.
"I think if we can get to the kids in the first two or three weeks of the school term, especially those students who are just starting school, we can instil good practices in them right from the word go rather than let them form bad habits that might be unsafe on a bus."
Senior Constable Brendan Clark said it is also important to teach children what to do if they miss their bus.
"We like to let the kids know that if something happens and they miss the bus or get on the wrong bus who the right people are to speak to," he said.
"Police think this program is very important to get the message to children about what to do in these situations when they are starting school."
NRMA Insurance Young Proprietor Christine Hillis said bus travel can be a daunting experience for school children, especially for younger students.
"The program aims to increase their knowledge and confidence and ensure their trip to and from school is a safe one," she said.